The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-30
A FEW TARIFF NOTES.
A Game at Which Two or More c
Play.

Play.
The Chicago Later-Ocedn makes some
atonement for its many sins by the follow
ing paragraph:
What we need" says the Charleston NctrS
and Courier, ARE free ships and free raw ma
terials." What the South most needs is TO roast
brown lot of crazy free trade editors Since
the days OF J. C. Calhoun down to 1861 and the
present time, Charleston editors have been q
poor source to look TO for either sound sense or
craftsmanship.
The above is from the Atlanta Constith-
ton of May 10. 1t has been said that now
converts usually see but one side Of the
question. They are so welded to their new
faith that they cannot look with any degree
of charity on those who differ with them.
Since the Constitutions editors have
jumped the fence on the tariff question,
they are numerically severe on their old
political associates. They are so carried
away With their new faith and their new
associates that they go the extreme lengths
of Northern protectionists and favor
roasting men who differ with them.
Well roasting, like laughing, is game
at which two or more can play, and he
roasts or laughs best, who roasts or laughs
last. Let these protectionistS start the game
of prescribing Democrats for adhering to
the time-honored doctrine of a tariff for
rerenue only, and they will soon find that
Democrats of q Jacksonian and Jeffersonian
school will fight them with their own
weapons. They viii prescribe these so-caiIed
Democrats, who strive to introduce in the
Democratic party the heresy of protection,
which heresy the Democratic party has
always fought from the beginning of its
organization.
In 1910 the tariff plank of the National
Democratic party was: Justice and sound
policy forbid the Federal government to
foster one branch of industry to the detri-
ment of another, or TO cherish the interest
of one portion to the injury of another por-
tion of our common country. 1t is the duty
of every branch of the government to en-
force and practice the most rigid economy
in conducting our public affairs, and no
more revenue ought to be raised than is re-
quired to defray the neces-
airy expenses of the gov
ernment." The tariff plank in the plat
forms of 1874 and 1S4S, also of 1852, are
equally strong in denouncing g. tariff for
protection. So the new school of Demo
Gratis of the so-caited ne,U South had better
go slowly on the line of roasting or pro-
scribing Democrats for adhering to Demo
cratic principles. They may find
they have drawn Damascus blade, two
edged sword, one that cuts both ways.
During the French revolution, when Robe
spierre had majority with him, in order to
| silence all opposition, he constructed the
guillotine as a speedy mode of putting down
opposition. Well, the thing worked well for
awhile, as it was q powerful easy way OF
silencing opposition; it proved in the end,
however, a Damascus blade; it cut both
ways and it finally whacked off Robespierre's
head 1t is much easier to run a newspaper
in the interest of protected industries than
to form and control political sentiment
wisely in great republic.
Protectionists are very sensitive on the
subject of ships and commerce, as well
they might be, as under the rule of Republi-
can protectionists our commerce has almost
| disappeared from the high seas. OF the 90,
900, 900 bushels of grain shipped from the
city of New York in 1886, not one American
ship was employed in carrying this grain to
the nation who consume our surplus crops,
while England alone had 743 vessels
employed in taking off our grain. These
protectionists do not like the subject OF
American commerce.
There is this popularity about this new
| school of Democrats: They seldom answer
| by legitimate argument men who oppose q
| tariff that exacts AZ per cent They content
| themselves by branding such men as crankS
and fanatics. 1t is usual for men who lack
ability to answer an opponents arguments
to say his argument is absurd or indulge III
personalities But something more than
this will be required of protection Democrats
in the coming Presidential campaign.
G. F. TURNER, Forsyth, Ga.